The ten unwritten rules of public EV charging etiquette, from the driver who leaves it plugged in all afternoon to the one who will not say anything about it.
Nobody has written them down, which is why we all silently disagree about them. So here they are, written down.
By Steven Day, Plug-n-Go · Reading time: approx. 7 minutes
There is a particular kind of standoff that happens at a charging bay. A car sits in it, plugged in, and looks like it finished charging some time ago. But has it? Another driver waits behind, hoping the bay will soon become clear, and waits… Nobody says anything. Nobody will say anything. We would sooner wait forty minutes in the drizzle than knock on a window and ask a stranger a reasonable question.
Public charging has no highway code. It has conventions, and conventions only work if everybody has heard of them. So here are ten, in the spirit of writing down what we all half-know.
1. When it’s finished, move it
The first rule, and the one the other nine rules are mostly footnotes to: A public charge point is a service bay, not a parking space. The moment your session ends, the bay stops being useful to you and starts being useful to somebody else.
The awkward part is that “finished” often happens while you are somewhere else, halfway round a supermarket or tucking into lunch at the services. That is a real problem. It is also the one charging apps can solve: keep an eye on your charge in real time, and if you can, turn on notifications and the car tells you when it is done.
2. A charging bay is not a parking bay
Parking a petrol or diesel car in a charging bay has a name, ICEing, which tells you how common it has become. This is a big no no. But the blocking version we often see is closer to home: an electric car parked in a charging bay, not plugged in, because the space was free and the owner was only popping in for a minute.
It is still blocking. The bay is marked for charging because a driver somewhere is relying on it. If you are not drawing power, you are in somebody’s way, however green your number plate is.
One practical footnote, because it catches people out. Charging and parking are two separate transactions. What you pay us covers the electricity and the service; any parking fee, time limit or restriction belongs to whoever runs the car park, and it applies to you exactly as it would in any other bay. Worth a glance at the car park’s signage before you walk away.
3. Take the bay you actually need
If your car tops out at 100 kW on DC, and there is a queue for the ultra-rapid bay, and a slower bay stands empty two spaces along, the polite thing is obvious. You will charge at your car’s maximum either way. We wrote about why that is in our blog on what kW really means at a charge point: the session always runs at the lower of what the charge point can give and what the car can take.
The same applies in reverse. If you have twenty minutes and a big battery, the rapid is exactly where you should be. Nobody is asking you to be a martyr about it.
4. When there’s a queue, stop at 80%
Batteries fill quickly to about 80% and then slow to a crawl. The last fifth can take as long as the first four, which means that in a queue, the driver going to 100% is spending half an hour to gain very little while somebody behind them waits for a great deal. We explained the mechanics in our blog on why your car charges faster at some points than others.
When the site is empty, charge to whatever you like. When there are three cars waiting, 80% and away is the version of this that everyone can live with.
5. Put the cable back
A charging cable left on the ground is a trip hazard, a puddle magnet and, in rain, unpleasant to pick up. Keep it tidy. It takes a couple of seconds and it is the clearest possible signal to the next driver that the bay was left by somebody who was paying attention.
6. Don’t unplug someone else’s car
The most contested rule, and the one where a firm answer helps. Do not do it. Some cars lock the cable and you will simply fail and may cause damage. Some do not, and you will have interrupted a session the owner is relying on to get home. You have no real way of knowing which situation you are in, or what the owner’s desired range is. So don’t unplug them.
7. If you’re going to be a while, say so
The dashboard note is an underrated piece of technology. “Back at 2.30” converts an unexplained blockage into a manageable wait. The driver behind you can decide whether to wait, move on, or come back. What they cannot do is read your mind, and in the absence of information people assume the worst, generally about you.
8. Report the broken one
If a charge point will not start, will not authorise, or has visible damage, tell us. The next driver will assume it is working, will lose ten minutes finding out that it is not, and will very likely not report it either, because they are in a hurry and because somebody else surely has by now.
Three ways to do it. In the app, open the charge point’s details and tap “Report Issue”. Message WattBot, our AI service agent on WhatsApp, which answers instantly at any hour. Or call +44 (0)330 232 1111, which is answered by a person, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The charge point ID from the unit, the location and a photograph of the error screen is all we need. We may be able to reboot the charger there and then, which sorts it out, or if onsite work is needed we’ll schedule to get it done as soon as possible.
9. Queue like you mean it
One car, one queue, in the order people arrived. This is the rule Britain is theoretically best at and, in car parks, mysteriously worst at. Do not idle at an angle where nobody can tell whether you are waiting or leaving. Do not creep towards a bay while a driver is unplugging. And if you were second and somebody arrives and misreads it, tell them, kindly, rather than performing your grievance through the windscreen.
10. Say something. Kindly.
Which brings us back to the standoff. Most people blocking a bay have no idea they are doing it. They are not villains. A polite word (or note if the vehicle is unoccupied) solves this gently.
In one paragraph
Move it when it’s done. Don’t block a bay you’re not using. Take the bay you need, stop at 80% when there’s a queue, and put the cable back. Don’t unplug anyone. Leave a note if you’ll be a while, report anything broken, queue properly, and when someone is in the way, ask them, politely, rather than waiting for the situation to resolve itself.
If you need us
Most of the ten rules above are things drivers sort out between themselves. Two of them are not.
If a charge point is faulty, or a bay is blocked and you are genuinely stuck, don’t stand in the drizzle working out what to do. Message WattBot on WhatsApp at +44 (0)330 232 1111 and you’ll get an answer straight away, at any hour. Call the same number if you would rather speak to someone: it’s answered by a person, every day of the year.
We can see the charge point from our side, we can often reboot it there and then, and where a bay is blocked we can usually tell you what is going on. It is a better outcome than a note under a wiper and a bad afternoon for two people.
How long can you leave your car at a public EV charge point?
Ideally, only for as long as it is charging. Once the session ends the bay should be freed for the next driver. Keep in mind that many chargers have overstay fees. So, if you leave your car on one of those chargers for longer than a certain time limit, set by each operator, you’ll be clocking up additional fees. Plug-n-Go has overstay fees at some of its chargers. We charge 5p per completed minute (including VAT where applicable) after 12 hours from first plugging in.
Is it OK to unplug someone else’s electric car?
No. Many cars lock the cable and will not release it, and where they do not, you may be cutting short a session the owner needs to complete a journey.
Can I park in an EV charging bay if I’m not charging?
No, whatever you drive. A charging bay is reserved for vehicles actively drawing power. Blocking one in an electric car is no more helpful to the next driver than blocking it in a petrol one.
Does my charging fee cover parking?
No. What you pay your charge point operator covers the electricity and the service. Parking fees and any fines are set by whoever operates the site and remain your responsibility. Check the car park signage before you leave the car.
Should I charge to 100% at a public rapid charge point?
Not when other drivers are waiting. Charging speed drops sharply above roughly 80%, so the final stretch takes disproportionately long for relatively little range. When the site is quiet, charge as much as you like.
Who do I tell if a Plug-n-Go charge point is broken?
Report it in the app under “Report Issue” on the charge point’s details, message WattBot on WhatsApp using this number +44 (0)330 232 1111, or call it if you need to speak to someone, it’s answered by a person at any hour, every day of the year. The charge point ID is usually all the detail you’ll need. And if you ever do, our thanks.